YORK, Pa. — The York State Fair has been in operation since 1765 and is known to be America’s First Fair—starting years before the nation was founded.
What started off as a two-day agriculture market on the town's commons, known as Penn Park, has now blossomed into a two-week fair for entertainment, competitions and new things for people across the state to come to check out.
“South central Pennsylvania is known for our farming and our agriculture, and the York State Fair allows our farmers to bring their produce, bring their crops, bring their animals—especially for our 4-H and FAA kids—to show off their hard work throughout the year,” said Montgomery Stambaugh, marketing and communications director at York State Fair.
The Livestock Arena has attracted thousands of guests since its inception. Stambaugh said it’s a way for people to get up close and personal with animals they wouldn’t see every day, as well as provide an education for those who aren’t familiar with things like birthing, feeding and maintaining livestock.
“Throughout the York State Fair, we have three calves that’ll be born, four goats, as well as a momma pig who gave birth yesterday to 10 baby piglets,” said Stambaugh.
According to the Nature Conservancy, farming represents the backbone of Pennsylvanians’ heritage. There are 52,000 farms and 7.3 million acres of farmland, and agriculture is a big business in Pennsylvania. The Nature Conservancy states farming contributed $83.8 billion in direct economic output, 280,500 jobs and $10.9 billion in earnings.
“A lot of the area is a big multicultural area, and not many people would know much about agriculture, and our ag-education center is not only focused on teaching youth but adults as well about farm-to-table and the production of agriculture throughout the state,” said Stambaugh.
The ag-education center has a number of attractions for families and friends of all ages to learn more about the agriculture industry in Pennsylvania. It includes 4-H demonstrations, a story barn, live animals and local agriculture organizations.